troops on 31st July, 1917, the “Battle of Pilckem Ridge” at the
beginning of the Third Battle of Ypres. The note in Messrs. Dent’s
edition, p. 113, gives a list of the divisions employed. Among these
is the 51st, then in the XVIII. Corps, Fifth Army. They were near
the left of the British line. “Highland Territorials (51st Division)
Welsh and Guards battalions secured the crossings of the Steenbeek.”
All objectives were taken early in the day. The losses of the
Division were about 1600 and they took about 650 prisoners.
Paragraph 50 describes a successful attack made on 20th September:
“North of the Zonnebeke-Langemarck Road, London and Highland
Territorials (58th and 51st Divisions) gained the whole of their
objectives by midday though stiff fighting took place for a number of
farms and strong places.”
This action is now the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. The losses of
the Division were 1150.
The Division received the congratulations of the Corps and Army
commanders on their work in the Ypres battles. In his message the
Corps Commander said: “I venture to place it among the three best
fighting divisions I have met in France during the past three years.”
About this time the enemy published a statement that the 51st was the
“most formidable division on the Western Front.”
In the beginning of October the Division was back in the area
south-east of Arras.
The despatch of 20th February, 1918, paragraph 3, shows that the 51st
Division was part of the attacking force at the Battle of Cambrai,
1917, which commenced on 20th November, 1917. After mentioning
the capture of Ribecourt by the 6th Division and the storming of
Havrincourt by the 62nd, Sir Douglas Haig said: “The capture of these
two villages secured the flanks of the 51st (Highland) Division
(T.), Major-General G. M. Harper, advancing on the left centre of
our attack up the slopes of Flesquières Hill against the German
trench lines on the southern side of Flesquières village. Here very
heavy fighting took place. The stout brick wall skirting the Château
grounds opposed a formidable obstacle to our advance, while German
machine guns swept the approaches. A number of tanks were knocked
out by direct hits from German field batteries in position beyond
the crest of the hill. None the less, with the exception of the
village itself, our second objectives in this area were gained before
midday.” Paragraph 4: “On the morning of the 21st November, the
attack on Flesquières was resumed, and by 8 a.m. the village had been
turned from the north-west and captured.” “Following upon the capture
of Flesquières, the 51st and 62nd Divisions, in co-operation with a
number of tanks and squadrons of the 1st Cavalry Division, attacked
at 10.30 a.m. in the direction of Fontaine-Notre-Dame and Bourlon.
In this attack the capture of Anneux was completed, and, early in
the afternoon, Cantaing was seized with some hundreds of prisoners.
Progress was made on the outskirts of Bourlon Wood and, late in the
afternoon, Fontaine-Notre-Dame was taken by the troops of the 51st
Division and tanks.”
The last-mentioned village was lost on the following day, see
paragraph 6.
Paragraph 7: “On the morning of the 23rd November the 51st Division,
supported by tanks, attacked Fontaine-Notre-Dame, but was unable to
force an entrance. Early in the afternoon this Division repeated its
attack from the west, and a number of tanks entered Fontaine, where
they remained till dusk, inflicting considerable loss on the enemy.
We did not succeed, however, in clearing the village, and at the end
of the day no progress had been made on this part of our front.”
On the 27th the Guards Division, which had relieved the 51st, again
entered the much fought-for village, but it was partly commanded by
the Bourlon ridge and could not be held.
The 51st were not in the line on the 30th when the German
counter-offensive took place. See 47th, 55th and 56th Divisions.
In the Cambrai battle the casualties of the Division were 1570. They
took 2690 unwounded prisoners.
The great German offensive of March 1918 is dealt with in the
despatch of 20th July, 1918. The 51st Division were then in the
IV. Corps, Third Army, and were holding front line positions near
Hermies, west of the Flesquières salient. On their right was the 17th
Division of the V. Corps and on their left, about Lagnicourt, the 6th
Division of the IV. Corps; see map opposite p. 186 of Messrs. Dent’s
edition of the _Despatches_.
In paragraph 16 Sir Douglas Haig, dealing with the 21st March,
said: “On the Third Army front our line in the Flesquières salient
had not been heavily attacked and was substantially intact.
Beyond this sector fierce fighting took place around Demicourt
and Doignies, and north of the village of Baumetz-lez-Cambrai. In
this area the 51st Division, under the command of Major-General G.
T. C. Carter-Campbell, was heavily engaged, but from noon onwards
practically no progress was made by the enemy.”
In his telegraphic despatch of 22nd March, after referring to the
exceptional gallantry of the 24th and 3rd Divisions, Sir Douglas
Haig said: “A very gallant fight was made by the 51st Division also,
in the neighbourhood of the Bapaume-Cambrai road, against repeated
attacks.”
In paragraph 21 of the written despatch, dealing with the 22nd March,
Sir Douglas Haig said: “In the neighbourhood of Baumetz the enemy
continued his assaults with great determination, but was held by the
51st Division and a brigade of the 25th Division until the evening.
Our troops were then withdrawn, under orders, to positions south of
the village.”
The fighting between 21st and 23rd March is now the Battle of St.
Quentin, and that on 24th-25th March, the First Battle of Bapaume.
During the next few days the 51st Division fought many critical
rearguard actions. It was thereafter taken out of the line. Its total
losses since the morning of the 21st were over 4900.
About 1st April the Division entrained for the Béthune area and it
was hoped that things would be quieter there; that hope was quickly
to be blasted.
The same despatch deals with the German offensive in Flanders which
commenced on 9th April. See also 49th, 50th, 55th and 61st Divisions.
Paragraph 51 deals with the opening of the Lys battle on 9th April.
It is there stated: “Meanwhile, shortly after the opening of the
bombardment, orders had been given to the 51st and 50th Divisions to
move up behind Richebourg-St.-Vaast and Laventie and take up their
positions in accordance with the pre-arranged defence scheme. Both
these divisions had also been heavily engaged in the Somme battle,
and had but recently arrived in the neighbourhood.” In the course of
the forenoon, when the left of the 55th Division had to move back to
form a defensive flank, touch was established with the 51st. The 1st
King Edwards Horse and 11th Cyclist Battalion who had covered the
deployment of the 51st and 50th occupied Lacouture, etc.,” and “by
their splendid defence of these places enabled troops of the 51st and
50th Divisions to come into action east of the Lawe river between Le
Touret and Estaires.” A quotation as to the heavy fighting which took
place during the afternoon of the 9th has already been given under
the 50th, and some remarks by Sir Douglas Haig as to the splendid
bearing of the divisions in the Lys battle have been given under the
49th.
In his telegraphic despatch of 11th April, Sir Douglas Haig said that
“the 51st Division had beaten off incessant attacks with great loss
to the enemy and, by vigorous and successful counter-attacks had
recaptured positions into which the enemy had forced his way.”
Paragraph 58 of the written despatch shows that by a sudden attack
just before dawn on April 12th the enemy broke through the left
centre of the 51st Division about Pacaut and Diez du Vinage, but with
the arrival of reinforcements “the enemy’s progress in this sector of
the front was definitely checked.”
The Division had over 2500 casualties in the Lys battles. In a
congratulatory message to the Division, dated 16th April, the First
Army Commander said, “You have done wonders.”
About the beginning of May the Division moved to the area east
of Arras and remained about Oppy till 11th July. Here they had a
comparatively quiet time.
The despatch of 21st December, 1918, paragraphs 11 and 12, deals with
the assistance afforded by the British to their Allies in the Second
Battle of the Marne. It shows that the XXII. Corps, Lieut.-General
Sir A. Godley, comprising the 15th, 34th, 51st and 62nd Divisions,
were sent south in July. The two latter went to the east side of the
salient. Paragraph 12 says: “On the 20th July, the 51st and 62nd
Divisions of the XXII. Corps, attacked in conjunction with the French
on the eastern side of the salient, south-west of Reims. The sector
assigned to the British troops covered a front of 8000 yards, astride
the Ardre river, and consisted of an open valley bottom, with steep
wooded slopes on either side. Both valley and slopes were studded
with villages and hamlets, which were for the most part intact, and
afforded excellent cover for the enemy. On this front our troops
were engaged for a period of ten days in continuous fighting of a
most difficult and trying nature. Throughout this period steady
progress was made, in the face of vigorous and determined resistance.
Marfaux was taken on the 23rd July and on the 28th British troops
retook the Montagne de Bligny which other British troops had defended
with so much gallantry and success two months previously. In these
operations, throughout which French artillery and tanks rendered
invaluable assistance, the 51st and 62nd Divisions took 1200
prisoners from seven different German divisions and successfully
completed an advance of over four miles.” This is now designated the
“Battle of Tardenois.”
General Berthelot, commanding the Fifth French Army, issued on
1st August an eloquent Order of the Day as to the work of the two
divisions, in which the British had made the Valley of the Ardre
their own, “bountifully watered with their blood.” He mentioned that
in addition to the prisoners 140 machine guns and 40 guns had been
captured. “You, one and all, have added a glorious page to your
history. Marfaux, Chaumuzy and the Montagne Bligny, these splendid
words will be written in letters of gold in the annals of your
regiments. Your French friends will remember your marvellous bravery
and your perfect comradeship in arms.” Later, General Guillaumat,
then commanding the Fifth Army, bestowed on the 6th Battalion, Black
Watch, Royal Highlanders (Perthshire), the exceptionally high honour
of being “cité à l’Ordre de l’Armée” as follows:—
THE 6TH BATTALION ROYAL HIGHLANDERS
“This battalion _d’élite_, under the forceful command of Lieutenant
Colonel Francis Rowland Tarleton, has given proof of splendid
spirit and dash in the course of the hard fought battles between
July 20th and 30th, 1918. After seven days of bloody fighting, in
spite of exhaustion and the heavy losses caused by intense enemy
machine-gun fire, it successfully stormed a wood strongly fortified
and stubbornly defended by the enemy.”
The losses of the 51st in July amounted to about 3900.
Both divisions were brought north to take part in the last British
offensive commencing in August. In the supplementary despatch of 13th
September, 1918, as to the work of certain divisions, Sir Douglas
Haig said: “The 51st Division after taking part in both the Somme
and Lys battles of March and April, and also in the French offensive
south-west of Reims, on August 26th attacked north of the Scarpe, and
in five days of successful fighting captured Rœux, Greenland Hill
and Plouvain.” The despatch of 21st December, 1918, paragraph 27,
deals with the Battle of the Scarpe, 26th August to 3rd September,
and shows that at that time the 51st was serving in General Sir Henry
Horne’s First Army, along with the Canadian Corps, who fought on
their right. The incidents above-mentioned are again dealt with.
The Division’s losses in the Greenland Hill operations amounted to
1145. For their fine work they were congratulated and thanked by the
Commander of the Canadian Corps, under whose orders they were in the
Scarpe battle.
About the end of August and beginning of September the XXII. Corps
took over on the north and south sides of the Scarpe and the 51st
Division became part of that Corps. In the beginning of October the
Corps moved to the south of the Canadian Corps and took part in what
is now the “Battle of Cambrai, 1918,” 8th-9th October, with pursuit
to the Selle, 9th-12th October, and on 11th October an advance
towards the Selle river was commenced. On the 12th and 13th, the 51st
had hard fighting. The attack was renewed on the 19th when there
were signs of the enemy retiring, and he was closely pressed. The
51st took a prominent part, until the 29th of October, in various
actions which involved bitter fighting. For a most gallant charge
against a counter-attack by the enemy, the 6th Argyll and Sutherland
Highlanders, who had rejoined the 51st in October after two years’
service as Pioneers to the 5th Division, were complimented by the
Corps Commander.
Paragraphs 46 and 47 of the despatch deal with the Battle of the
Selle River, 17th-25th October, and show that the 51st, as part of
the XXII. Corps, First Army, were on the left of the attack on 24th
October. The telegraphic despatches stated that the Division had
sharp fighting on the 24th and again on the 27th when they repulsed a
determined counter-attack near Maing with the bayonet. Their losses
during October were 2835.
At the end of October the Division went out of the line to rest, and
its very distinguished fighting career was closed.
Scottish regiments were, at various times during the war, in debt to
the Midlands of England for drafts of young soldiers, who soon got
the _esprit de corps_ of their Scottish units. This debt was, partly
at least, repaid when brigades were cut down to three battalions in
the beginning of 1918. At that time the 51st gave to the 61st (South
Midland) Division, three of its best battalions, the 9th Royal Scots,
5th Gordons, and 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. These formed
the 183rd Brigade; and, in his detailed description of the awful
struggle during the March Retreat, Battle of St. Quentin, Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle gives the greatest possible credit to this brigade. The
whole Division did splendid work in the St. Quentin battle, and also
in the Lys battles in April. See 61st Division.
After the close of the Lys battles these three battalions were taken
from the 61st and, at Arras, joined the 15th, Scottish, New Army,
Division, which at Loos had earned a reputation it never lost. In
July the 15th, as part of the XXII. Corps, went to the south-west of
Soissons, in the French area, and came under the command of General
Mangin for the great counter-attack on the German salient, which
began on 18th July—the turning-point or day of the War. All three
battalions played a notable part in the Buzancy battle on 28th July
and following days, and paid their full share of the price for the
great distinction earned by the 15th Division on that occasion. No
higher compliment could have been paid by an Ally than the erection,
by the French 17th Division, of the monument at Buzancy to the fallen
of the 15th Division. See paragraph 12 of the despatch of 21st
December, 1918, and note in Messrs. Dent’s edition.
After Buzancy the 15th was taken to the Flanders border; its last
great fight was past.
The following units of the 51st Division were chosen for the Armies
of Occupation: 1/6th Black Watch, 1/4th and 1/5th Gordon Highlanders,
and 1/8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
NOTE.—Since the foregoing account was written, and revised by two
officers who served with the Division during the last three years
of the war, the most excellent _History of the 51st Division_, by
Major F. W. Bewsher (Blackwood and Sons), has been published. The
“casualties suffered” have, with kind permission, been mainly taken
from Major Bewsher’s work.
52ND (LOWLAND) DIVISION
FIRST LINE
After a long service on coast defence work in Scotland, the Division,
in the last half of May, 1915, sailed for the Mediterranean and
arrived at Alexandria early in June. Considerable intervals separated
the dates of despatch of the various battalions to the Dardanelles,
but the Division had practically all landed there before the first
week of July closed.
The 156th Brigade, which disembarked 13th-16th June, was in time to
take part in the action of 28th June. The Brigade was attached to the
29th Division and came into action on the right of the 87th Brigade.
The main object of the attack was to give the British more elbow
room, our situation being still exceedingly cramped.
Sir Ian Hamilton, in his despatch of 26th August, 1915, states that
the assault was entrusted to the VIII. Corps, Lieut.-General A.
G. Hunter-Weston. The 29th Division on the left had to carry the
greatest extent of ground. “On the right of the 87th Brigade the
4th and 7th Royal Scots captured the further two Turkish trenches
allotted to them, but further to the east, near the pivotal point,
the remainder of the 156th Brigade was unable to get on.” The ground
gained was held against “repeated counter-attacks, which for many
days and nights afterwards the enemy launched against the trenches
they had lost.”
The enemy trenches opposite the right front of the attack, near the
pivotal point, had not been seriously bombarded by the artillery
owing to shortage of shells. At that time a preliminary bombardment
was a mere pretence when contrasted with what it became in 1917 or
1918, while the creeping barrage had not yet been devised. The 8th
Battalion Scottish Rifles, the right battalion of the 156th Brigade,
supported by the 7th Battalion, found themselves, as soon as they
were “over the top,” subjected to a murderous enfilade machine-gun
fire from the right flank. Only a few unwounded men reached the
opposing trenches, which were 175 yards distant. The 8th Battalion
went in about 650 strong, they came out with one officer and 29 other
ranks. One man who had reached the enemy position was captured. The
ordeal of the battalion, in this its first action, seems to have been
as severe as any experienced by an infantry battalion during the war.
The Turkish position at this point, H. 12, was attacked by another
brigade soon afterwards. It remained intact, although the attackers
suffered a loss of 1700.
In Sir Ian Hamilton’s despatch of 11th December, 1915, he described
the battle at Helles on 12th-13th July, and the Suvla Bay fighting
in August. The action of 12th-13th July was supplementary to that of
28th June, the object being to push back the Turkish centre.
“On our right the attack was to be entrusted to the French Corps;
on the right centre to the 52nd (Lowland) Division. On the 52nd
Division’s front the operation was planned to take place in two
phases; our right was to attack in the morning, our left in the
afternoon.” The 29th Division was to make a diversion on the left.
“At 7.35 a.m. after a heavy bombardment, the troops, French and
Scottish, dashed out of their trenches, and at once captured two
lines of enemy trenches.” The 1st Division of the French Corps pushed
forward and carried the whole forward system. “Further to the left
the 2nd French Division and our 155th Brigade maintained the two
lines of trenches they had gained. But on the left of the 155th
Brigade the 4th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers pressed on
too eagerly. They not only carried the third line of trenches, but
charged on up the hill and beyond the third line, then advanced
indeed until they came under the ‘feu-de-barrage’ of the French
Artillery. Nothing could live under so cruel a cross fire from friend
and foe, so the King’s Own Scottish Borderers were forced to fall
back with heavy losses to the second line of enemy trenches which
they had captured in the first rush.”
The second phase of the attack was launched as planned. “The 157th
Brigade rushed forward under heavy machine-gun and rifle fire, and
splendidly carried the whole of the enemy trenches allotted as their
objective. Here then our line had advanced some 400 yards, while the
155th Brigade and the 2nd French Division had advanced between 200
and 300 yards. At six p.m. the 52nd Division was ordered to make the
line good. It seemed to be fairly within our grasp.”
“All night long determined counter-attacks, one after another, were
repulsed by the French and the 155th Brigade, but about 7.30 a.m. the
right of the 157th Brigade gave way before a party of bombers and our
grip upon the enemy began to weaken.” Another attack at 3 p.m. on the
13th, in which the Royal Naval Division and French took part, met
with success, and on the whole the line was greatly improved by the
operations of the two days. “A solid and enduring advance had been
achieved.”[5]
Sir Ian Hamilton said: “The 1/5th Royal Scots Fusiliers commanded
by Lieut.-Colonel J. B. Pollok McCall; the 1/7th Royal Scots,
commanded by Lieut.-Colonel W. C. Peebles; the 1/5th King’s Own
Scottish Borderers, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel W. J. Millar; and
the 1/6th Highland Light Infantry, commanded by Major J. Anderson,
are mentioned as having specially distinguished themselves in this
engagement.”
In his despatch of 6th March, 1916, which deals with the evacuation
of the Gallipoli Peninsula, Sir C. C. Monro remarked: “Meanwhile the
VIII. Corps had maintained the offensive spirit in bombing and minor
operations with which they had established the moral superiority
they enjoyed over the enemy. On the 29th December, the 52nd Division
completed the excellent work which they had been carrying out
for so long by capturing a considerable portion of the Turkish
trenches, and by successfully holding these in the face of repeated
counter-attacks.”
The commander of the Division, Major-General the Hon. H. A. Lawrence,
“was selected to take charge of all embarkation operations.” The
evacuation from Helles took place on the night of 8th January, 1916.
The 52nd Division was taken to Egypt. They crossed to the east side
of the Suez Canal about the beginning of March, 1916, and they were
to spend the ensuing twelve months in the desert of Sinai, their
energies being consumed in assisting with railway construction and
making and manning defensive posts.
In Sir A. Murray’s despatch, dated 1st June, 1916, as to operations
of the Egyptian force, between 10th January and 31st May, 1916,
paragraph 8, after describing the attack on the Yeomanry at Oghratina
and Qatia in the Sinai Peninsula on 23rd April, he says: “Meanwhile,
at 5.30 a.m. a Turkish force, 1000 strong, with one gun, advancing
from the south, attacked Dueidar, the most advanced defensible
post, which was held by 100 men of the 5th Battalion, Royal Scots
Fusiliers, under the command of Captain Roberts, 5th Battalion, Royal
Scots Fusiliers. This officer, who throughout showed conspicuous
skill and ability, succeeded in repelling two determined attacks on
the position at 6.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. respectively. Both attempts
cost the enemy dear. At 9.30 a.m. reinforcements of two companies,
4th Royal Scots Fusiliers, under the command of Major Thompson, of
that battalion, who had been despatched from Hill 70, seven miles
away, on the first news of the attack, arrived at Dueidar. The
various posts were strengthened and a counter-attack, delivered at
12.30 p.m. with great spirit, forced the enemy to retire, leaving 30
prisoners in our hands and 70 dead.”